Ubisoft Massive has surpassed itself with its work on Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora – a game that harnesses the power of PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, to create one of the most visually striking games of the generation so far. Following on from Alex’s Avatar PC tech showcase, this write-up focuses on how the game compares on console: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S.
The questions going in to Avatar are simple: between the dense, rich jungle environments, ray-traced GI and reflections, and high-quality materials, how does each platform hold up – particularly the less powerful Series S? And in looking at the game’s 60fps performance mode available only on Series X and PS5, are all of its cutting-edge visuals possible with unwavering performance? Or is the alternative 30fps quality mode the better way to go?
First things first: I’m happy to confirm you do not need a top-end PC to enjoy the fruits of Massive Entertainment’s labour here. The bottom line is PS5, Series X and even Series S successfully translate the PC experience to less powerful console platforms with smart cutbacks. Crucially, none of these cutbacks hamper the experience of exploring its detail-rich jungle. In fact, it’s clear the team has made these console versions a priority – with its Snowdrop engine scaling beautifully to each.
No matter where you look there’s a new highlight. Pandora’s lush jungles are the star of the show of course, and emerging from the claustrophobic indoor tutorial section you have free rein to go anywhere you like. The dense thickets of plant life are a proud feature of the game’s design, complete with a volumetric fog that fills the horizon and insects flying through the space.